Brick-machine.



No. 831,461. PATENI'ED SEPT. 18, 190

0. NOLAN. I BRICK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14.1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 831,461. PATENTBD SEPT. 18, 1906.

0. NOLAN. BRICK MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1906.

' a SHEETS-SHEET 2- 4 a 670 i 3 I35 7 V 7 V g 3 3 5 3 8 z 4 z Ma 10 4 i 4 a a a a a 4 4 130 ll vi Woes Q. momma PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906. 0.NOLAN.-'

BRICK MACHINE.

AIPLICATION FILED APR-14. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a tOtWWl-J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

BRICK-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed April 14, 1906. Serial No. 311,732.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER NOLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for the manufacture of bricks or building-blocks of cement or other plastic material.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine by which bricks or blocks of any desired shape or size and color may be conveniently and expeditiously manufactured and easily discharged from themachine without injury to the corners or faces of the bricks.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine as it appears when ready for the discharge of the completed bricks, the pallet bein partially broken away to show the mold-c ambers. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the machine. Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections taken, respectively, on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar section through the mold with the parts adjusted for the removal of the bricks. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top swinging section of the mold. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the division-plates.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide a mold comprising a base or bottom section 1 and a top or cope section 2. The section 1 is formed of front and rear walls 3 and 4 and end walls 5, the latter being extended in advance of the front wall and provided with terminal feet or projections 6, apertured for the passage of bolts or other fastenings to secure the base to a bench or other suitable foundation. A longitudinal bar or partition 7 extends parallel with and adjacent to the rear wall 4 and is fixed at its ends to the end walls 5. Arranged between the walls 3 and 7 are spaced partition or division plates 8, adapted to form the sides of a plurality of mold-chambers 9. Each plate 8 has a reduced lower portion 10, fitting in grooves 11 in the walls 3 and 7 and forming shoulders 12 to rest upon the upper edges of said walls to hold the plates from downward movement, the series of plates being held from upward displacement by a longitudinal tie-bolt 13, passing therethrough and through the end walls 5 and provided at one end with a securing-nut 14. The grooves 11 may vary in arrangement, so that the partitionplates maybe spaced a greater or less distance apart to vary the width of the moldchambers for the formation of bricks of different sizes.

The top or cope section of the mold is composed of a swinging frame embodying a bar or plate 15, hinged, as at 16, to the rear edge of the base 1 and adapted to seat horizontally upon the walls 4 and 7 when said top section is in operative position. Carried by the bar or plate 15 is a series of spaced plates or fingers 16, adapted to form the bottoms of the mold-chambers and to fit down between the partitions 8, which are received and project upward through the spaces between said fingers. A front plate 17 is disposed vertically at the forward ends of the fingers 16 and is preferably integral therewith and is formed with grooves 18 to receive the front edges of the partitions 8, said plate being further formed with a horizontal flange 19 to rest upon the front end extensions of the end walls 5 of the base-section. The fingers or mold-bottom plates 16 may be independent of and suitably secured to the plates 15 and 17, but are preferably made integral therewith, as shown.

A plate 20, corresponding in form to the plate 17 and comprising a vertical portion 21 and a horizontal portion 22, is hinged at the rear edge of its horizontal portion to the bar or strip 15, as indicated at 23, and the vertical portion of said plate is provided with vertical slots 24, similar in number and arrangement to the slots 18, to receive the rear edges of the partition-plates 8. The walls 17 and 20 are thus designed when the top section 2 is in operative position to form the front and rear ends of the mold-chambers 9.

' The horizontal portion 22 of the plate 20 is adapted to rest upon the plate 15, and extending forwardly from the ends of the vertical portion 21 of said plate 20 are resilient clamping-arms 25, the free ends of which are adapted to engage spring-latches 26, mounted upon the ends of the vertical front plate 17. Each latch is provided with a shoulder 27 to engage the cooperatin clamping-arm and with a beveled lip 28, eading to said shoulder, the construction being such that when the free end of the arm 25 is forced downward into engagement with the lip 28 the catch will spring outward and allow the arm to come below the shoulder, when the mal position and hold the arms secured. The arms 25 are spaced sufficiently from the upper edges of the walls 17 and 20 to receive a pallet-board or plate 29, which is adapted to rest upon said walls, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and to close the tops of the series of mold-chambers.

The wall 17 is provided with forwardlyeXtending lugs or projections 30, adapted to be engaged by the cranked or cam portion 31 of a rock-shaft 32, journaled in the front eX- tensions of the walls 5 and provided at its ends with actuating-handles 33. The purpose of this part of the apparatus will be ereinafter described.

In the operation of forming the bricks or building-blocks'the top section 2, with the rear mold-wall 2O rigidly fastened to the body of said section by the arms 25 and catches 26, is swung down upon the bottom section 1 to form the mold-chambers 9. The material is then placed in the mold-cham bers and tamped therein to the desired consistency, after which the pallet-board 29 is placed in position so that it will be clamped and held from movement by the arms 25. The top section 2 is then swung rearwardly on the hinge connection 16 until 1t occupies the vertical position, (shown in Fig. 5,) in which it will be held by the friction and counteracting resistances of the hinge connections 16, after which the catches 26 are retracted to release the arms 25, whereupon the rear wall 20 of the mold-section 2 may be swung downwardly to the horizontal position shown in said figure to rest upon the surface of the bench or other support to which the mold is attached. The pallet-board 29 will thus support the formed bricks, and the latter will be held in convenient position for dry ing or removal to drying-racks.

In the operation of swinging the frame 2 to discharge the completed bricks from the machine it is found difficult to start the bricks from the moldchambers. The shaft 32 is provided to enable the section 2 to be preliminarily moved for this purpose. By means of the handles 33 the shaft may be thrown upwardly to cause the cam portion 31 thereof to bear against the projections 30, and thereby lift the section 2 against the resistance of the formed bricks or blocks. The construction and arrangement of the parts is such that this operation may be effected without breaking or otherwise injuring the corners or faces of the block, whereby the production of finished blocks or bricks free from defects is insured. The partitions are detachably secured by the bolt 13 in order to permit of the ready application and removal of interchangeable partitions of different types and widths for the production of different sizes and shapes of bricks and blocks.

The machine is especially adapted for making concrete brick, but may be used for making brick of clay or other material.

In practice the parts are preferably made of metal, the framework being of cast-iron and the partitions and bottom fingers of also self-cleaning, the bottoms of the molds performing this function. When it is desired to make colored brick, the coloringmatter may be placed in the bottom of the mold. Different types of brick or blocks may thus be easily and conveniently made by my machine.

In resetting the machine for operation the rear wall 20 is swung upwardly and fastened in the manner described to the front wall, the top section as a whole swung downwardly upon the bottom section, and the pallet-board removed, whereupon the machine will be ready for a repetition of the forming operation previously described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a brick-machine, the combination of a base, partition-plates secured to the base, a top section hinged to the base and provided with portions to form the bottom, front and rear Walls of the molds, the rear wall being hinged to said top section, means for fixing said rear wall to the front wall of the top section, and a pallet adapted to be removably held by said means upon the top section to close the tops of the mold-chambers and to be supported by said means when the rear wall is thrown back on its hinges to discharge the brick.

2. In a brick-machine, the combination of a base, partitions secured to the base and adapted to form the sides of a series of moldchambers, a top section composed of front hinged to the bottom section, a series of fingers connecting said sections and adapted to form the bottom of the mold-chambers, the front section being adapted to form the front wall thereof, a rear plate hinged to the rear section and adapted to form the rear wall of the moldchambers, means for detachably securing said rear plate to the front section, and a pallet-board adapted to be secured upon the top section of the mold by said securing means and to be supported by a portion of the latter when the said rear plate is swung back.

3. In a brick-machine, the combination of a base-section, partition-plates secured to the base-section and adapted toform the sides of a series of mold-chambers, a hinged top section provided with portions, to form the bottoms and end walls of the mold-chambers, means for pivotally connecting one of said end walls to the top section, fastening means for connecting said pivoted end walls to the top section, and a pallet-board adapted to be disposed to close the top of the mold-chambers and to be held by said fastening means and supported thereby and turned down with the rear end wall to expose the completed bricks for removal.

4. In a brick-machine, the combination of a base-section, partition-plates secured to the base-section and adapted to form the sides of a series of mold-chambers, front and rear plates, the rear plate being hinged to the base section, mold-bottoms carried by said plates and forming therewith a swinging top section, a rear mold-wall hinged to the top section, fastening means for securing said wall to one of the aforesaid parts of the top section, whereby the top section as a whole is adapted to be swung back to a vertical position, and a pallet-board adapted to be placed in position to close the top of the mold-chamber and to be supported by a portion of said fastening means, whereby the rear wall is adapted to be turned down to a horizontal position when the swinging section is open to dispose the bricks upon the pallet-board for ready removal.

5. In a briclcmachine, the combination of a base, partition-plates carried thereby and adapted to form the sides of a series of mold chambers, a swinging top section provided with portions to form the front and rear end walls and bottoms of the molds, one of said end walls being hinged to said top section, a pallet-board adapted to rest upon the top section and close the mold-chambers, and fastening means for securing said hinged end wall to the top section, said means embodying arms to support the board with the brick thereon when said end wall is thrown open.

6. In a brick-machine, the combination of a base, partition-plates carried thereby and adapted to form the sides of a series of mold chambers, a swinging top section provided with portions to form the front and rear end walls and bottoms of the mold-chambers, one of said end walls being hinged to said top section, catches upon the fixed members of the top section, clamping-arms upon the hinged end wall to en age said catches, and a palletboard adapte to rest upon the top section and to be supported by said arms when the top section is open and the hinged wall disconnected therefrom.

7. In a brick-machine, a base-section, a hinged .top section, said sections being respectively provided with mold-forming members, extensions upon the top section, and a rock-shaft journaled upon the base-section and having a crank portion to engage said extensions to start the top section on its swinging movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER NOLAN.

Witnesses R. H. DAY, J. CHRISTOPHERSON. 

